Exclusive: Ferrari Trento CEO Embraces Lando Norris’ Celebratory ‘Spike’ Amid F1’s High-Octane Finale

Unveiled: The Opinion of F1’s Official Wine Provider on Lando Norris’ ‘Incident’

Exclusive conversation with the CEO of Ferrari Trento

A Lando Norris win wouldn't feel right without his signature move: the McLaren driver energetically pops open a bottle of sparkling wine by shaking it and striking it against the podium, signaling the beginning of the festivities.

This action is anticipated in the last six races of the 2024 Formula 1 season, which will be conducted at a rapid pace as two sets of three consecutive races. Spanning six races over the course of seven weeks, the series begins in Austin this weekend and concludes with the customary season finale in Abu Dhabi on December 8th.

Contrary to what one might assume, Norris' lively celebratory 'spike' does not cause anxiety at Ferrari Trento, the official sparkling wine of F1. In fact, the brand is quite encouraging of it.

"As a wine producer, we clearly believe that the ideal way to appreciate Ferrari is by drinking it, not by spraying it," Matteo Bruno Lunelli, the President and CEO of Ferrari Trento, told Crash.net in an exclusive interview.

Ultimately, this is a time for happiness and festivities, and it's great to witness the drivers truly relishing it. Undoubtedly, Lando is particularly memorable in the way he celebrates.

Ferrari Trento is relatively new to Formula 1, having secured a partnership that runs from 2021 until the end of 2024. However, the brand itself was established by Giulio Ferrari back in 1902, well before the World Championship began. The company changed hands 50 years later when it was purchased by Bruno Lunelli, who ran a wine shop in Trento. Today, the business is managed by the third generation of the Lunelli family.

Ferrari Trento, despite the similarity in name, has no connection to the renowned red Formula 1 team. However, Gino Lunelli, a second-generation winemaker, shared a close friendship with the iconic Enzo Ferrari. The company is a significant force in the industry, boasting a storage capability for 20 million bottles at its facility in Italy and achieving sales of six million bottles in 2023.

Out of the entire amount, 70,000 bottles were opened at Formula One Grand Prix events last year, and nearly 20,000 were consumed in Miami, which was Ferrari Trento's largest event for 2023, with Las Vegas following as the second biggest.

According to President and CEO Lunelli, Las Vegas would rank similarly to Miami, but it isn't fully counted because many of the hospitality venues that cater to Ferrari are situated within the city's casinos.

In Las Vegas last year, we enjoyed services at the F1 Paddock Club, along with various events set up by casinos along the Strip. One such event was hosted by the Las Vegas Bellagio, which created a lovely hospitality section right behind the casino's fountains. This was separate from the official F1 hospitality, as Bellagio independently organized it and decided to offer Ferrari to their guests for the entire weekend.

An instance of our service was at the Four Seasons Hotel, where we executed a remarkable event. Each hotel guest was greeted with a Ferrari F1 edition bottle as a welcome gift in their room.

Naturally, while holding a glass, attention is squarely on the race. Ferrari Trento has significantly increased its brand visibility by being the celebratory spray on all the podiums during every F1 weekend, including events from F1 to the Porsche Supercup.

According to Lunelli, the jeroboam of Ferrari Trento champagne plays a role in the Formula One spectacle as it is presented to the drivers.

Furthermore, all guests enjoying the top-tier hospitality at the Grand Prix have the opportunity to savor Ferrari Trento over the course of the race weekend. This aspect sets our collaboration apart from other partnerships that involve different types of product categories.

Certainly, Ferrari Trento supplies sparkling wine to F1 teams during their celebrations, regardless of the occasion, to extend the festivities and make the event more unforgettable before the eventual wrap-up.

The Italian company that produces sparkling wine is committed to giving back to the community. They auction custom-designed podium bottles on the F1 Authentics merchandise website, with all profits donated to the Make a Wish Foundation. Additionally, they arrange meet-and-greet events with drivers to create memorable experiences for children with serious illnesses.

"In previous instances, we have undertaken similar efforts. One such example occurred in Imola in 2023 when the Grand Prix had to be called off due to flooding," Lunelli explains.

We believed it was a great idea to auction off the bottles that were never used during podium ceremonies. The response was overwhelmingly positive. In collaboration with Pirelli and Formula 1, we auctioned all the trophies and bottles that were intended for the drivers, successfully raising nearly €100,000.

"All the funds raised were donated to aid emergency operations in the impacted regions. This aspect of social responsibility is something we are very pleased to incorporate into our F1 partnership projects."

One enjoyable element of the motorsport industry is providing sparkling wine, and Ferrari Trento demonstrates that this task involves much more complexity at Grands Prix than one might initially think.

Explore Further

Join Our F1 Newsletter

Receive the newest updates, exclusive content, interviews, and special offers from the F1 paddock directly in your email.

To learn more, please refer to our Privacy Policy

Recent Updates

Additional Updates

Website Index

Crash.Net

©1999-2024 Crash Media Group

Copying or reproducing any part or the entirety of the text, images, or illustrations in any manner is prohibited.